Doting dad who shared birthday with twins and wife is shot dead just weeks after learning their third child is on the way
Tragedy has struck a viral Ohio couple after the husband and soon-to-be father of three died after being shot in the head.
Scierra Blair, 33, and her husband, José Ervin, Jr., 32, made national headlines last year when they welcomed twins into the world on the exact same day of their own shared birthdays.
The couple were both born on August 18, and on that same day in 2023, A’ria and José Ervin III were born — which José subsequently declared had been “the best birthday present ever.” People reported.
But two months after the couple shared a joint birthday celebration with the family of four, José was shot and shot multiple times at a Dunkin Donuts on Turney Road in Garfield Heights.
Tragedy has struck a viral Ohio couple, Scierra Blair, 33, and her now husband, José Ervin, Jr., 32, after the soon-to-be father of three was shot in the head and killed at a Dunkin Donuts in Ohio
The couple was both born on August 18. On that same day in 2023, A’ria and Jose Ervin III were born – which José subsequently declared had been “the best birthday present ever.”
His death came just weeks after the couple learned their third child was on the way.
‘We didn’t get married until June. We had been married less than six months,” Scierra said News 5 Cleveland.
‘They have no right to steal a life. We are not God. We don’t have that right.’
José left a local bar with his best friend in the early morning hours of October 4 before heading to a gas station.
Surveillance footage shows José ordering food and drinks at the window before approaching a group of people and asking for a cigarette, Chloe’ Ervin-Dozier, his sister, told People.
An argument broke out between José and another man in a white shirt, with two women trying to intervene. But the confrontation only escalated when the man in the white shirt pulled a gun from his bag.
Surveillance footage shows José ordering food and drinks at a gas station counter after a night out with his best friend at a local bar
An argument broke out between José and another man in a white shirt, with two women trying to intervene, but it only escalated when the man in the white shirt pulled a gun from his bag.
The CCTV footage showed José’s friend running to the store, while the deceased father ran vaguely into the night in the distance.
José began running across Turney Road when he was chased by a man in a white T-shirt and several gunshots were fired before he was finally hit.
José began running across Turney Road as multiple gunshots were fired before he was eventually hit and fell onto a curb in front of Dunkin.
“He chased my brother like he was prey,” Ervin Dozier added.
The unknown man and the two women got back into their car and drove away.
José was transported to Marymount Hospital for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries – including a shot to the head – and ultimately died shortly afterwards.
He left behind his one-year-old twins and his wife Scierra, who is 10 weeks pregnant with their third child.
“My son begged, my son said, ‘Don’t do this, don’t kill me, man,'” Rhonda Ervin, José’s mother, said. News 5 Cleveland. ‘And he did it anyway. They did it anyway.’
José was transported to Marymount Hospital for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries – including a shot to the head – and ultimately died shortly afterwards.
His death comes just as the couple was adjusting to their new family life. The couple married in June of this year and celebrated their love in a large ceremony at Lee-Seville Baptist Church in Cleveland, People reported.
Two months after their wedding, they celebrated their quadruple birthday party together as a family, enjoying vanilla buttercream frosting cake covered in sprinkles and topped with a “One” candle.
Despite the twins coming down with a cold, their extended family was still able to celebrate the milestone during a four-hour FaceTime call, with everyone getting their own personal cake to join in the festivities.
“We partied, we had a really good time,” Ervin-Dozier added. “I really think this party for José was one for the books.” And his birthday wish had already come true.
‘All José wanted was to be a father.’
The couple had always dreamed of living together and recently put down a down payment on a house in Parma, Ohio.
José had celebrated his graduation in February with a degree in building maintenance and was scheduled to start work in a welding program on October 14.
He also started his own company: a maintenance company for HVAC buildings. Figuring his third child would be a boy, he named the start-up Jose & Sons.
José had celebrated his graduation in February with a diploma in building maintenance and was scheduled to start a welding training program on October 14.
The couple married in June of this year and celebrated their love in a large ceremony at Lee-Seville Baptist Church in Cleveland.
He also started his own company: a maintenance company for HVAC buildings. Figuring his third child would be a boy, he named the start-up Jose & Sons
Police are looking for a suspect in the murder and have confirmed there is a car of interest they are actively searching for, News 5 Cleveland reported.
The Shell gas station, also located on Turney Road and close to the crime scene, is also part of the investigation into the shooting.
But Jose’s family have urged the man who killed their loved one to turn himself in.
‘He has twins here, a boy and a girl. They need their dad right now,” Jose Ervin Sr., Jose’s father, told News 5.
“We have to go a step further and educate our grandchildren. You took away a good man.”
José was described by his family as the ‘glue’ that kept everyone close together. It was said he was well known in the community and was not a threat to anyone.
“José was the light of everyone’s lives,” Ervin-Dozier added. “It’s hard not having him with us.”
The family has one GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs and further support for his wife and children.